How to Be Noble

The best of ancient Celtic wisdom from early Ireland, presented together for the first time in modern new translations

From an age when warring kings ruled over Ireland and druids still roamed the land, How to Be Noble presents lively new translations of the earliest Irish wisdom literature from the Celtic tradition. For the first time, Philip Freeman has collected these ancient texts from scattered medieval manuscripts and translated them for modern readers. The result is a wonderful collection of pithy sayings that offer timeless wisdom about friends, family, marriage, love, leadership, justice, and finding joy even when life is difficult.

How to Be Noble gathers the best of ancient Celtic wisdom from works that include The Counsels of Cormac, The Testament of Morann, The Sayings of Flann Fína, The Precepts of Cú Chulainn, The Alphabet of Luigne mac Éremóin, The Instruction of Cuscraid, and The Triads of Ireland. Filled with advice for kings and commoners alike, these wry, spiritual, and earthy sayings often connect the nobility of a people’s ruler and their prosperity: “It is through the truth of a ruler that an abundance of fish swim in the streams.” Another saying asserts, “Good fortune is better than treasure.” One observes, “Three sparks that kindle love: a face, a glance, a word.” And another advises, “Don’t be a flea in the ale in a king’s house.”

Complete with an illuminating introduction and the original Old Irish text on facing pages, How to Be Noble is a treasury of memorable sayings that offer fascinating insights into the life and thought of ancient Ireland.